Hyundai Bayon Walkaround, Renault Duster Hybrid & Audi Q3 First Drive Reviews | Times Drive Show

Namaskar friends, I am Manav Sinha and you are watching a TV show where all your automotive needs are fulfilled because this is the Times Drive Show. Now just like every time, this time as well we have put together an action packed lineup for you guys. So let's take a look at what's coming your way over the next half an hour. We'll start off with one of the most anticipated new cars for the Indian market, the Hyundai Bayon. It's made its debut, we find out just what it brings to the table. That's not it, we'll also take you for a drive in one of the most anticipated hybrid SUVs, the Renault Duster Hybrid and we find out whether it brings more to the table than just a good claimed mileage. Last but not the least, we talk about Audi's next innings in the Indian market and it all starts. with the new Q3 which we take for a drive to find out if it's worth your attention. So as you can see, a lot is about to come your way. And yes, today we have with us, the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder. Now this EV is a proper Japanese EV that you have to spend time in to understand what it truly brings to the table. After doing so, I found out that this is quite impressive. But talking about impressive SUVs, in the ICE world, there's hardly anything more popular than the Hyundai Creta. But now, Hyundai is set to change things a little bit because the new Hyundai Creta will not only be bigger will not only have more features but it will also be more premium or in simple words more expensive than before and that means there's a bigger gap between the Venue and the Creta now and to plug that in Hyundai has come out with a new SUV called the Bayon. Let's take a look. Well, if buying an SUV was on your bucket list for this festive season, things just got a lot more exciting because Hyundai has now launched its new mid-sized Bayon SUV in the Indian market. First of all, let's take a closer look at the design elements of this newly launched SUV. As you will see, this is an SUV, but it also has a very sleek design and it's got, you know, very strong creases right all around the design. You can see these two creases on the bonnet. In the middle, you can see the aluminum finish, the new Hyundai logo, and you also get to see a very strong stance on the front end of the SUV. Of course, Here are your dual LED projector headlamps and it also has the signature HLED DRL running across this part here. Of course you get to see a lens here which means that you are getting a 360 degree parking camera in this car. It also suggests towards the capabilities of safety that this SUV has. Now Hyundai tells us that it is. 5-star Indian safety standard ready and in this car you get to see level 2 ADAS pro 23 features. Let's see how the side profile is and then we have the side profile. Well, the one thing I want to point out here is that the overall total length of this SUV is still 4.2 meters and wheelbase here is 2.6 meters. These are the machine-cut 17-inch alloy wheels. The design looks very And of course, you've got hard plastic claddings all around this suv now the orvm design is also really special of the bayon quite sleek and quite sharp as something we have not seen from the brand in this segment before and then you have the ample of window area right here of course you've got your you know traditional door handles here which are body colored and then you also get these roof rails which feel pretty sturdy as i can check out right now now let's take a quick look at the rear end The rear end of the Bayon is again a very sleek and modern affair just like the rest of the car. Here you can see that the rear spoiler has been integrated into the body shell itself and this high-stop lamp is looking very interesting. This is something that we have not seen other brands do earlier or even Hyundai itself for that matter. Now here you have rear window defogger, rear wiper system. Hyundai's logo and very sleek tail lamp design which mimics the signature H DRL shape that we saw in the front of the car earlier. Here are your indicators and then you have your reverse parking lamp here as well. The car gets six sensors in the rear and the front as well. Let's take a look at the boot space in the new Bayon. Because as I told you, this is a pretty healthily long SUV, even though it is pretty sleek. Well, the boot space that you see here is 505 litres. Now that is a really respectable amount for the segment. And this is what I really wanted to see. Here you can see a full-sized steel rim spare wheel. The first thing that you will, you know, notice is this new double D-cut steering wheel. Here you get to see the new logo of Hyundai and you also get to see the controls for your ADAS safety features and multimedia functions as well. Overall, here you get to see a button for the drive mode and that looks really nice. The unit itself feels really sturdy and the next thing that grabs your attention is this wide panoramic curved display. Now the touch screen here is also 12.3 inches and the driver information display is 12.3 inches as well. The next thing you'll see is that here is a cascading vertical center console given by Hyundai which gets your air conditioning controls and two vents as well and also manual control for your fan. That is also really interesting to see, you are getting to see two USB-C type points at the bottom and then there is a wireless smartphone charger right here in the center as well. Now the car that I am sitting in has the IVT automatic transmission so you get to see the shifter of it here. Apart from that the car also comes with front ventilated seats and this dual ivory gray and black theme that you see going on around right here is also you know reserved for the top model as well. And in the center you also get the armrest which you can adjust slightly for your convenience and with that the backseat experience inside the Bayon well as you can see let me just show you for reference my height is 5 11. i've got decent amount of headroom here but loads of knee room here you can see two ac vents at the back a usb c point and a power point as well here you can see two armrests in the middle with two cup holders but the special thing here is that the bayon also comes with Two-step recline adjustability for the backseat despite having that large boot space. And then we have the heart of the Bayon. Now in terms of power, even in that, Hyundai has only revealed that it will be producing 115 PS of power. We haven't been informed about the torque figure yet. But we know the kind of transmission options that will be there on offer and that is a six-speed manual and an IVT automatic. And the engine also has a claimed mileage figure. of 18.6 kilometers to a liter of fuel and that was all about the new Bayon well certainly an interesting launch by Hyundai India here and from what we can see the starting price is also really attractive at rupees 9.99 lakh x showroom and this car that i showed you of course has the petrol engine that i showed you but it will also soon launch in a CNG variant now that will happen It happened around January, 2027. So there you have it, the new Hyundai Bayon. The only question left to be answered is how it is to drive And that question will be answered same time at the Time's Drive show next weekend, so make sure you tune in. For now, it's time to move over and talk about a hybrid SUV and I'm talking about the Renault Duster. It now comes with a bigger 1.8-litre engine and Renault says that it is the most fuel-efficient hybrid car in the Indian market with a claim of 29 kilometres to the litre. Is this really as good as it sounds? Well, Dhruv Palewal is putting it to the test up next. Now, this is the third Duster we are driving in 2026. And by third, I mean third different kind of powertrain in the Duster. 1.3 turbo petrol engine has been driven. 1 litre turbo petrol engine has been driven. And this is the hybrid Duster. This one is very important. Many people are waiting for it from the start. Because the hybrid Duster is not just a big SUV, not just a comfortable SUV, but it's also going to be fuel efficient. How will you know that this is a Duster Hybrid? Well, there are small clues, you'll have to pay attention to them. The biggest clue is right here, in the front. The badging of the Duster is lit. On a regular Duster, it's written, but it's not lit. Here, there are background LEDs. And when you look at it at night, you'll see the whole area lit. Now, if you look from the side, you will see the e-TECH hybrid badge here. The iconic plate used to come on the iconic variant, but on this hybrid version, there is an e-TECH hybrid. Now, there is a small detail from the back as well, which will tell you that this is a Duster hybrid. And that is once again an e-TECH hybrid badge right here on the boot. Now, is there any change in the interior? Well, there are cosmetic changes. You can see this upholstery, this brown colour that you can see on the seats, well, this is specific to the hybrid version of the Renault Duster. Now, along with this, let me tell you a couple of more things. The top-end version of the Duster Hybrid comes in at Rs. 19.49 lakhs, and that is an aggressive price tag. But to achieve that price tag, Renault has to do a few things here. For example, there are a couple of features which are important, which are there on the Duster Turbo petrol version. But are missing over here and that is first of all, a 360 degree camera. Now that is a useful feature. For those who are beginners in driving, a 360 degree camera is very helpful for them, especially while parking. And to keep the price of the Duster Hybrid under control, well, it has been said goodbye here. Along with that, you won't get to see ADAS tech in the Duster Hybrid. Now, if we talk about driving the Duster Hybrid, so this car does not drive like a regular hybrid car. First of all, a major difference that we felt in our test drive is that hybrid cars generally tend to act like CVTs. It means that the engine keeps revving but it takes time to catch up with the speed. Now, that is not a feeling that we got to see in the Duster Hybrid. In the Duster Hybrid, you actually have a proper gearbox and the engine Now, we will not go into the technical details of how Renault has achieved this, but in the real world, it affects that when you are driving the car at higher speeds, the petrol engine stays quite active. It also stimulates gear shifts. At lower speeds, the electric motor takes over. In speeds, the petrol engine will not be that efficient. So here, the electric motor does its work and it stays smooth. So the power delivery stays smooth, jerk-free driving, silent driving as well. And if the motor needs to be topped up, So the engine turns on and also charges the motor. The gearbox is not just for the engine, that means there are four gears for the engine and there are two gears for the electric motor as well. So this is a different, a slightly more complicated setup from regular hybrid cars out there. And I have to say this, This setup makes the Duster Hybrid a more engaging car to drive. Talking about the suspension, well, without having done a back-to-back comparison, it's not easy to claim this, but it feels like the Duster Hybrid has an even stiffer setup at the front. Now, it's not that difficult to guess this thing because there's a petrol engine in the front along with two electric motors. So, the weight does change. And at the back, the boot also has an electric battery. In terms of handling, the Duster feels quite sure-footed. Now we drove it mostly on street highway roads, but whenever the time came to make a quick direction change, the Duster Hybrid held up its end. So where does that leave us overall? This engine, despite being a 1.8-litre engine and having two electric motors along with it, is not tuned for outright performance. The biggest aim of Renault is fuel efficiency. Which is also visible. They have advertised 29 kmpl that it is certified fuel efficiency by ARAI. And well, in the real world, you will have to drive the car very easily to be able to achieve that figure. But you can definitely get Even if you take out all the performance from this car, efficiency will hover somewhere around 13, 14, 15 KMPL, which is not bad when you're putting your foot to the metal. So, ultimately, this car, kis ke liye hai yeh gadi? Yahan pe main yeh kahunga, well, someone who's looking to get to office every day and back in style, in comfort, With all the creature comforts they want around them and also wants a car on the weekend which they can take out for highway trips without really wanting the best performance on offer, well, in that case, the Duster Hybrid is making a great case. If you want a regular everyday car that runs in EV mode, when the battery runs out, it runs on petrol as well, well, in that case, the Duster Hybrid is now making a great case for itself. And the biggest reason is the aggressive price tag. The Rs 19.49 lakh price tag for this car is something that other car makers will struggle to follow. And this is something that will set it apart from other cars in the market right now. With that, it's time for a small break on the Time's Drive show. But stick around because once we're back, we'll take you for a drive in the new Audi Q3. Welcome back, I am Manav Sinha, you are watching The Times Drive Show and today we have with us the Toyota Urban Cruiser eBella. As promised, it's now time to talk about the next innings of the German automaker Audi in the Indian market, where they are going on a product offensive unlike ever before and it's all starting with the new Q3. I travelled all the way to Goa to get my hands on it and tell you whether it's worth your attention. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the new Audi Q3. Thank you. Say it all. First and foremost, the design, The fact of the matter is that the Audi Q3 is now longer, the looks of the car. wider and taller than before. In every way, this is a larger footprint than the outgoing Audi Q3. Well, you have an SUV that not only looks low and wide, but somehow, at the same time, looks properly muscular as well. It has very good road presence and I quite like what this car has. One thing that I really liked about this car is this section here we get to see daytime running lights and we usually say that the DRL signature of the car defines its looks, this is like the eyes of the car. In the Q3 though you can actually change that and I quite like it, it's not gimmicky, there are a lot of options to choose from but I don't find that gimmicky, I'm more than happy to have these options. is what brings me to the side profile. Elevated emblems inside the wheels. These not only look fantastic, not only do we always have the Audi logo inside the wheel perfectly aligned every single time, but it's also a very premium feature. Nevertheless, let's talk about the side profile. This is where the increase in the footprint really comes visible. Even though this is not a long wheelbase model as some of the other cars are, it still has a very sizeable presence and I quite Quite like that as well. Coming to the rear of the car, well, this is where you get modern-day things like connected light signatures at the back. Here too, we get to see a lot of changes. And included in that is its light signature, light animation change. And here we get to see that connected light bar. This also houses the indicators in it. And you'll be surprised by just how much space this light bar gives to the indicator. But you know where this car genuinely deserves even more time? It's not about its exterior update, it is actually about the interior. Here, Audi has done a really good job. I really like the screens on offer. It's really good to use, the graphics are really good. Everything is crisp, animations are crisp, text is crisp, easy to use, very intuitive UI. All in all, it's a great touchscreen infotainment system experience. I also liked the instrument cluster. Audi's instrument cluster was the most modern-age instrument cluster a few years ago. And I would say even now, even in the outgoing model, that was perhaps one of the best instrument clusters you could get in any German luxury car. Now if we are talking about interiors, then we will also have to talk about a unique decision of Audi, that is, that Audi has placed the gear selector behind the steering wheel from the central console, the advantage of this is that now the central console is completely free and the interior is But the thing to keep in mind is that this gear selector takes some time getting used to. Audi has also changed the stalk which controls the wipers and has the headlight pass function which is unusual in shape and this I think will take even longer to get used to. Now let's talk about the rear seat. Let's give you an idea of space. I've set the front seats as per my height for reference I'm 5 foot 10 and you can see I have decent amount of space on offer. I do have decent amount of headroom on offer as well although really tall occupants over So over six feet tall might want to give this a check by visiting. The dealership as to how much space headroom they have on offer over here at the back. In all other departments, this is a very comfortable place to be in. There's a really good addition over here at the back as well, which is the fact that you can now move the seats front and back. But other than that, you continue to get good things like two USB-C ports at the back for both the passengers. You get your own dedicated climate zone over here as well. So you can set a completely different temperature for the backside of the car as well. The highlight of the experience is, of course, the 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that makes over 200hp and 320Nm of torque. This engine comes paired with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, and the entire drivetrain, as always, is a delight to use. To give you an idea of performance, Audi claims that the Q3 can go from 0 to 100 The Q3 is no performance SUV though. But still, a car that is pleasant to drive. I think it does the basics just right and all in all, it's a very impressive package. And with that, we've come to the end of this edition of the Times Drive show. I really hope you liked the episode. If there's anything you have to say, make sure you reach out to us through our social media handles. And if you're planning to buy a new car, a new motorcycle or perhaps something like the Toyota Urban Cruiser Rebella, make sure you visit timesdrive.in to find all the necessary information to make an informed purchase. With that, I take your leave. I'll catch you same time next week only on the Times Drive show.